The halo effect (in other words, the halo effect) is the result of the influence of the general impression of a person on the judgment about his particular features or personal characteristics. For the first time in the history of psychology, the famous scientist Edward Lee Thorndike investigated and conducted experiments to prove this phenomenon. This phenomenon is sometimes also referred to as the primacy or novelty effect.
The halo effect is a practical scientific explanation of why we tend to build certain stereotypes about the people around us and why these labels are so difficult to get rid of. In conditions of a lack of information, when you know a person superficially, rely on the reputation that has developed in society, or are familiar with only one side of his personality, the halo effect can manifest itself quite clearly and textually.
The simplest and classic example of this phenomenon can be called the opinion that beautiful people should be distinguished by outstanding intelligence and kindness (based on external characteristics, an opinion about the intellectual characteristics and personal qualities of a person is formed).
The halo effect can be of 2 types: Positive or Negative. Thus, it does not matter what type of label we put on another person, the first opinion is decisive and in many ways sets the tone for further subjective perception of the personality.
The halo effect takes place not only in personal interaction with a new acquaintance, the phenomenon can also manifest itself in relation to stars, politicians and even with regards to trade marks.
For example, having tried a product from a certain company for the first time in your life and appreciating it positively, you unconsciously give this company a kind of "credit of trust." After that, the opinion is fixed in the mind that other products of this company are of the highest quality, their advertising is always colorful and exciting, and the logo is the height of art - all these conclusions are made fleetingly and without a detailed analysis of the situation, simply because it is easier for a person to follow a ready-made label.
The halo effect is often used by various scammers and scammers who try to impersonate other persons. For example, having made the impression of a famous artist, the fraudster may subsequently be forgiven for narrow knowledge in art or even in his own biography (those around him will still see him as a great personality, and blame all the inconsistencies on forgetfulness and creativity).
The halo effect is promoted by:
- Lack of time. In a situation where a person does not have enough time to get to know another person well. This means that he is forced to think over the situation in a short time and, based on several disparate facts, make a complete impression of the person.
- Load of information. A person has many social contacts and a large number of acquaintances, so he does not have the opportunity to think about each in detail and dive deeply into communication.
- The insignificance of another person. The situation when a new acquaintance is not given special importance, a person does not see in it special benefits and prospects in communication. A stereotypical opinion that may arise on the basis of a new acquaintance's belonging to a large and well-known group of people. That is, the conclusion about the personality is made on the basis of, for example, nationality, profession or religion.
- Originality and originality of the personality. When some bright feature or trait of a person occupies the entire foreground and completely pushes other features as insignificant. Researchers have found that just such a feature is often a person's external attractiveness.
Halo effect- the tendency to transfer previously received positive or negative information about a person to his real perception.
The effect of primacy and novelty- the importance of the order of presentation of information about a person; earlier information is characterized as primary, later - as new. In the case of the perception of a stranger, the effect of primacy is triggered, and when a familiar person is perceived, the effect of novelty.
Stereotyping- a stable image of any phenomenon or person, which is used as a known abbreviation when interacting with this phenomenon. The term was introduced by W. Lippmann in 1922, who saw in this phenomenon only a false and inaccurate representation used by propaganda. Often there is a stereotype associated with a person's group belonging, for example, to a certain profession.
The consequence of stereotyping can be:
1) simplification of the process of knowing another person;
2) the emergence of bias. If the past experience was negative, then the person associated with this experience will, with a new perception, cause dislike. Knowing about the effects of perception, a person can use this knowledge for his own purposes, creating a positive image among others - a perceived and transmitted image of a person. The conditions for the adopted image are: orientation towards socially approved forms of behavior, corresponding to social control, and orientation towards the middle class in terms of social stratification. Allocate three levels of image: biological (gender, age, health, etc.), psychological (personality traits, intelligence, emotional state, etc.), social (rumors, gossip).
Halo effect-there is an ascription of qualities to the perceived person on the basis of the image that was formed earlier about him from various sources of information. This image, which previously existed, plays the role of a "halo" that interferes with seeing the actual features and manifestations of the object of perception. The halo effect is also manifested during the formation of the first impression about a person, when the first favorable impression leads to a positive assessment and still unknown qualities of a person, and vice versa, a general unfavorable impression contributes to the predominance of negative assessments.
Effects of "primacy" and "novelty"-depend on the order of presentation of information about a person to form an idea about him. In the perception of strangers, the very first known information about him prevails. On the contrary, in situations of perception of a familiar person, the effect of novelty acts, which consists in the fact that the latter, i.e. newer, information about him turns out to be the most significant.
5 The main types of prejudice: racism, sexism, ageism.
prejudice- this is always a deliberate condemnation that instills in us a prejudice against a person solely on the basis of his identification with a certain group
Prejudice- this is a false, but rooted in consciousness view of something. Prejudice are concepts such as stereotype and prejudice. Social manifestations of prejudice: racism, sexism, ageism(discriminatory behavior towards a certain group of people or a specific person on the basis of his belonging to a particular age group, for example, to the category of elderly people), etc.
Ageism- polit. a term denoting discrimination against the younger or older generation, motivated by a hidden or explicit assumption that the young are not able to judge any. things, but the old are weak. Belief that the elderly - who live on social benefits, are redundant members of society, in other words, useless.
Discriminatory behavior
for many positions, applicants are taken no older than a certain age. despite his experience and other merits,
in their family, younger relatives may not listen to their opinions, ignore them.
Racism- a set of views, which are based on the provisions of the physical and mental inequality of human races and the decisive influence of racial differences on history and culture.
Racism- institutional practice in which a subordinate position is imposed on members of a particular race. "
Racist is the belief that racial traits have a decisive influence on the abilities, intelligence, morality, behavioral characteristics and character traits of an individual human person, and not a society or social group.
Ideas of Racism
about the initial division of people into higher and lower races, of which the former are the creators of civilization and are called to rule over the latter. The implementation of racist theories in practice sometimes finds expression in the policy of racial discrimination.
it is an orientation that disadvantages one sex in relation to the other.
sexism- discrimination against women.
- discrimination based on sex (from the English sex - biological sex)
- The offset effect
- Close and together
- Success in everything
- Influence of the first word
The wording "law of precedence" appeared in 1925. Then the famous psychologist from the USA M. Lundt revealed that people are most susceptible to the influence of the first message or news. Subsequent messages about any event have less effect on the person. In principle, this law is known to many. After all, there is a saying "They meet by their clothes." The law of precedence is actively used by students who try to get good grades in their first years. This will help them in their future studies, teachers often look at previous successes. The law also works in the media. Typically, in the news, a version of the channel is first promoted to influence viewers to a greater extent.
We often meet with first impression in ordinary life. During the first meeting with a person, with some phenomenon or thing, we form our attitude. This attitude significantly influences our subsequent opinion. With the help of the first impression effect, you can quickly form all your thoughts about an object. We are not always talking about an involuntary impression, sometimes we make a verdict on purpose. Appearance and behavior have a huge impact on first impressions. But our own personalities also play an important role. It depends on them whether the first impression will be positive or negative, whether we will evaluate individual qualities or the whole object, etc.
The opposite of the first impression effect is the halo effect. It is also called the halo effect or gall effect. He is already considering the formed opinion about an object, person or phenomenon after meeting with him. If we see a positive reputation, then we will attribute other good qualities as well. It is not necessary that these qualities will manifest themselves later, but the halo effect will do the job. Moreover, if a negative opinion has developed about a person, then negative qualities will be attributed, and positive ones will be ignored.
The halo effect is one of the favorite methods of scammers. Moreover, we could read about some of them in fiction. The classic example is "The Inspector General". Khlestakov initially appeared before the other heroes of the picture as an auditor, an important and respected person. Even if the main character subsequently showed his incompetence, showed ignorance of his work, the other characters did not notice this at all. Nor did they notice that Khlestakov does not look like an auditor at all.
There are several conditions that cause the halo effect in psychology:
- Lack of time. A person does not have time to fully familiarize himself with the object, carefully weigh the pros and cons, consider in detail the characteristics of the character and personality traits of another person.
- Information flow. Often people simply do not have the opportunity to deal with everyone, especially with large flows of information, frequent acquaintances.
- lack of significance. People do not always attach great importance to those around them. Therefore, the opinion may be vague, more like a halo.
- stereotyped opinion. If a large group of people speaks in the same way about another person, then the opinion may be imposed by their attitude, and not by a real impression and their own reasons.
- the brightness of a single line. It can be a trait in appearance or character, but if it is extraordinary, it will affect the overall impression. Usually, the striking feature is not personality, but appearance.
We have one feature - we think with false analogies. This is the psychological basis for the halo effect. Exists halo effect examples that we encounter in everyday life. They can often lead to confusion.
The offset effect
As mentioned above, students often work for the record book, so that later teachers will overestimate their grades. Real work is carried out only in the first or second year, then the student begins to pay less attention to his studies and even skips classes. But the halo effect means that teachers will rate these students higher. If a student diligently studied with one teacher for a year, then he will unconsciously overestimate his mark, even if the real knowledge is not up to par. Moreover, many teachers try to pull out good students in the past if they show an extremely low level of knowledge. With a good student's record, you can get "excellent", even if the answer does not pull even a three.
Close and together
This phenomenon explains why many people like to be photographed in other people's expensive cars or in other people's luxury country houses. It is believed that they take over some of the positive impressions and wealth of these objects. Also, many politicians often appear in the company of celebrities - talented singers and actors. So they try to get a little more love and public acceptance that the stars have. If an ordinary person managed to be photographed with prominent figures, then the photo will become a source of pride. They seem to be adopting success from others. But it is worth remembering that “near” does not mean “together”.
Success in everything
If a person is distinguished by special success in one area, this does not mean that he will achieve heights in other areas. Although many people are subject to this delusion. It is worth remembering that we cannot be successful in all areas. Some areas require opposite accomplishments. For example, a harsh attitude and toughness at work cannot be correlated with gentleness and tenderness in the family. Although many people try to show their success in all areas. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger being a successful actor, he decided to try his hand at the political arena. By the way, this stereotype most often appears in the political sphere.
Influence of the first word
Joseph Goebbels was called the discoverer of this effect. He argued that the person who said the first word will always be considered right. This phenomenon has been confirmed by many psychologists. They found out that if a candidate can convincingly tell the electorate that he will win during the election race, he really wins in most cases. It's all about conquering the mass consciousness. The research was carried out by scientists at Yale University, and this discovery was made by K. Hovland, N. Janis and L. Dobe. In their opinion, if a person was the first to convey his position to people, bypassing rivals, then his activities will be more successful. The phenomenon is explained by the inability to verify the information received. If we hear certain promises from different politicians, then we believe the first one rather than the next. And that opinion will not be easy to change.
The effect is often used to reduce the reputation of competitors. If unpleasant facts pour down on the enemy, then people can impose non-existent sins on him. Their argumentation will be impenetrable: "If it is justified, it means that it is guilty." Even if the accusation was only 10% proven and the denial was 100% proven, people will still believe the former. Historians attribute these words to Hitler. Moreover, the person making the accusation will always be slightly higher in the minds of people than his victim.
How to tackle the halo effect?
The answer to this question is given by Phil Rosenzweig, who owns book "Halo Effect"... He argues that this psychological trait can be combated and even destroyed by the wrong impression or opinion. The author presents many examples that are proof of his words. Although these examples show that the so-called person with a halo, who creates a halo effect around himself, is not able to influence the situation. The change occurs due to the psychological state of the subject.
Hurricane Katrina, which caused huge damage to the US economy and claimed many lives, caused the decline in George W. Bush's popularity. His economic policy was also criticized. But after 9/11, popularity rose, along with satisfaction with economic policies. After the terrorist attacks, the Americans began to see Bush as a defender, hence the increase in reputation. But people cannot assess the situation from different aspects. There are no half measures for them, the president can be only bad or only good.
You can also take an example from 2008. Then in all countries the financial crisis raged. And many large companies have received letters with negative reviews about their products. The reviews were written by old and trusted clients who have used the services of companies for a long time. This is due to a stressful situation. Because of the crisis, people began to notice little things and perceive them more sharply. This reaction is described in social psychology. It is so powerful that it cannot be influenced or changed.
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The first scientific experiment on the halo effect is associated with the names of Nisbett and Walson. This was talked about earlier, but there was no scientific evidence.
To study the impact of stereotypes in society, the following experiment was conducted: two groups listened to a lecture by one teacher who tried to be kind and friendly in one video, and authoritarian in the second. Research result: the first recording of the lecture seemed more attractive to the students, but they argued that the style did not affect the teacher's assessment.
The halo effect exists, but people do not realize that they are under its influence. The halo effect is actively used in the spheres of management, marketing, politics.
Life hack: how to sell profitably, guided by a halo?
The halo effect is a reliable tool with which it is easy to increase sales.
Sellers use the halo effect not only in relation to goods and services, but also in judgments about buyers.
An inexperienced seller is not always able to assess the buyer's solvency, since he thinks stereotypically. And it’s not in vain that they say that “you don’t judge a book by its cover”. Only a competent seller remembers that people's first impressions can be false and the buyer should not be judged on the basis of primary criteria.
For example, stereotypically retired people are offered something inexpensive, and a person in an expensive suit will definitely be served in the status of a VIP client. Although you need to look a little deeper and be guided not only by halos of perception. An experienced salesperson identifies without succumbing to stereotypical perception.
Management and business: spheres of influence
In relation to people, the halo effect works when it is his calling card. Even if a person makes a mistake, he will be acquitted in society, since he has shown himself positively before. And the statement of a respected person about a product can give a significant impetus to the development of a company. So, after Vladimir Putin's public statements about the shares of state-owned companies, they began to rise in value.
People begin to hang labels at the first meeting with a person. Therefore, it is so important when meeting, at an interview or to look neat and well-mannered to behave. Any minor mistake affects the opinion of a person and his further perception. Competent positioning of yourself or your product will help you easily hide flaws.
All That Glitters Is Not Gold
Have you ever noticed that if you liked a person at the first meeting, then you continue to be as if fascinated by him in the future?
Imagine that you consulted a lawyer, doctor, or simply stopped by an electronics store on your way home.
If a lawyer, doctor, manager or any other specialist was outwardly attractive, nicely dressed, courteous, and behaved friendly towards you, then you begin to think that he is not only smart, decent and honest, but also a high-level professional who will certainly will help you resolve your issue.
That is, it will depend on your first impression of a specialist whether you buy an expensive TV from him, whether you trust him to run your business or treat you.
This is the result of the halo effect.
Halo effect or halo effect- this is the influence of our first impression of a person on the subsequent perception and assessment of his individual traits and actions.
The very word "halo" ( English halo - halo) means a golden crown around the head of a person, a symbol of holiness, brilliance, radiance.
We tend to extend this radiance to the entire image of a person, perceiving external attractiveness as evidence of inner merits. And we tend to believe that a beautiful and “good” person is good at everything.
The halo effect also works in the opposite direction. If the established image of a person is negative, then this first negative impression also leaves an imprint in the future. This effect is called the horn effect or horns effect (Englishhorns - horns).
It is interesting that the halo effect can be traced in the behavior of absolutely every person as a consequence of innate human subjectivity.
With an already formed positive or negative image of a person, our subconscious mind selects from all incoming information only the one that confirms this image. For example, if we are initially sympathetic to a person, then we readily believe that he is kind, friendly, loves children and helps animals. But if we are told that he behaves indecently in public places and is rude to passers-by, then we will be reluctant to accept this information, perhaps even require proof.
But even more interesting is that even after personally seeing such inappropriate behavior of a person with a halo, we tend to justify him: “Nooo, he cannot behave like that. Probably, something happened to him. Someone must have pissed him off. "
But if a person initially made a bad impression on you, then you will be ready, without any remorse, to blame him for all the troubles of the world and endow him with various shortcomings that he does not always have.
But this does not always go on. The halo effect works when assessing strangers in short-term communication. The more we get to know a person, the more objective and justified our opinion about him becomes. The halo effect no longer blinds us and we see both positive and negative traits.
Therefore, use this miracle phenomenon while you can. Always try to look good and smile! Turn on your halo and win the favor of people!